Van Gogh Museum Amsterdam Netherlands Art Museums

With an oeuvre on permanent loan from the Van Gogh Foundation, the great
artist's eponymous museum houses the largest collection of his works
anywhere in the world. Over 200 paintings and 500 drawings are on display,
as well as 700 letters - the majority of which are "progress reports" to his
brother Theo, in which his depression and frustration is perhaps most
evident.

Vincent Van Gogh had a short but generative career that lasted just 9 years and
resulted in over 900 paintings. However, his struggle with mental illness
was to become as legendary as his most famous works. In 1888 he cut off his
ear lobe during a psychotic episode before committing suicide two years
later, aged just 37. In fact, many have attributed Van Gogh's distinctive
style of distorted draughtsmanship and intense brushstrokes to his madness,
but it has since become apparent that he only painted while in a stable
state of mind.

The museum chronicles every year of his life, which is split into seven key
stages. The first begins with his upbringing in the village of Zundert in
the south Netherlands, his relinquishment of boarding school and his
characteristically fervent forays into teaching and missionary work. In 1880
he made the decision to become an artist and began taking painting lessons
in The Hague. Two years later he received his first commission: a request
from his uncle to produce 12 pen and ink drawings of the Dutch capital.
Dissatisfied with his infrequent assignments, Van Gogh made a decision to
focus on depicting peasant life, and, in 1885, he produced his first
masterpiece, The Potato Eaters. Then of course, it was hardly viewed with
such reverence (even by brother Theo) and Vincent subsequently moved to
Paris and began to study the developing French Impressionist movement. His
time spent in the French capital saw him mingle with the likes of Paul
Gauguin, Camille Pissarro and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec; and his style began
to assimilate these surrounding influences. Years spent in both Paris and
Arles saw the production some of his most renowned works, many of which are
housed right here. They include numerous self-portraits (he was the cheapest
model available), Wheatfield and the iconic Sunflowers. By 1889, however,
Van Gogh was deep in the throes of depression and voluntarily admitted
himself to the psychiatric hospital in Saint-Remy. Painting became his
therapy while confined and the tortured artist depicted the world as he saw
it - through the bars of his room. After discharging himself, Van Gogh's
final days were spent in Auvers-sur-Oise, where he was to create his last
great work Wheatfield With Crows, which also features in the museum. His
suicide took place in the very fields that surrounded the town, lending even
more weight the ominous air of his ultimate piece.

Perhaps fittingly, the museum itself is something of a work of art. It was
designed by Gerrit Rietveld, the famous De Stijl architect, and its glass
walls provide perfect viewing conditions for the exhibits. The complimentary
Exhibition Wing was added by Kisho Kurokawa in 1999 and is used to display
temporary collections by Van Gogh's contemporaries, such as Gauguin and
Monet. Detailed information accompanies each individual work, and guided and
audio tours are also available.